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SCANDAL's 10th anniversary - rushing the players onward!
「We've taken a step forward」
Girl rock band SCANDAL are evolving and deepening. The band embarked on a nationwide tour from the beginning of 2015, leading to their first world tour, and have grown significantly. Now more than ever they're coming face to face with making music and delivering it with sincere feelings. Their new single 『Sisters』 is proof to that.
We were surprised by their single 『Sisters』 that was just released. The beginning of the song has a mechanical sound to it in the style of EDM, which is currently sweeping over the world. From there, it fully expands into a bright, cheerful pop tune. 『Sisters』 was cultivated while on their world tour that began this past January. It began from lyrics that RINA wrote. The trigger for RINA, who has recently been watching old European movies often, was the Czech movie 『Daisies』 (directed by Věra Chytilová).
RINA: 「It's a movie about two girls living their lives while doing crazy things, and it's also a controversial work that was banned when it was released. It came out in 1966 and has a strong message of living a free and uninhibited life during that era and under those political situations. Compared to then, we're now freer than we were in those days. This is also an era where choices are also being given to women. I thought to apply that to living more freely, and then wrote the lyrics. It's linked to a timing where we're going overseas as a band, and also how we'll fight it out and win as a girl band.」
MAMI took care of the music.
MAMI: 「Looking at the lyrics, I thought of making it into a bright song and creating our 'royal road' pop song. I feel like the combination of a band sound and a dance sound was defined while we were doing press coverage on our tour. CNN* came to interview us and they asked, "Amidst EDM worldwide, how do rock bands continue to fight on?" We like listening to EDM and we originally did dance at a dance school. Rock isn't fighting within EDM; it wants to be friends with it. I believe we exemplified that by making this song.」
They have experienced playing overseas many times before their world tour. They've also been interviewed a number of times. However, the warm reception that SCANDAL received this time at each location was slightly different than before. They could tell that people were coming to hear stories from a rock band/girl rock band.
HARUNA: 「I feel that the reason why we're playing lives as a Japanese girl band overseas was made clear. We've been asked, "Why are you playing as a band instead of dancing?" It's said that there are many girl bands in Japan even though there are many girls dancing worldwide, and that girls playing in bands itself has become Japanese culture. It feels like we're shouldering Japanese girl rock or pop and Japanese music culture and playing lives overseas.」
Together with these feelings, it seems like their attitudes toward bands and music have changed.
RINA: 「We make music while taking in Western music components. For recording, rather than us just being in a sealed-off soundproof room, we do it as if we're playing live in a wide space. The vocals and instruments are regarded as a part of each other.」
Starting from their previous single 『Stamp!』 (released in July), their production team has been newly structured.
TOMOMI: 「It wasn't just because we had a world tour; our mood has been like this for a while, and going on tour made that clear. I think it's most likely because we're now able to write songs ourselves and have a complete image of the song while we're writing each of them.」
Before the band's 10 year anniversary, the band has begun preparations to make a fresh start. That may be because of their world tour as well their album 『HELLO WORLD』 that was released at the end of last year.
Meanwhile, their documentary film 『HELLO WORLD』 that completely covers their world tour that matches the evolving SCANDAL has been completed. It will be in theaters from 10/17 for a limited time. The camera is constantly going around, covering not only the lives but backstage scenes to even their hotel rooms. TOMOMI says, 「All of us--our seriousness and determination too--up until the first half of this year is shown in this.」
HARUNA: 「I watched the film and thought again of how great this tour was. Personally, I'm also a bit embarrassed (laughs). I realized things like us being our natural selves, and there are parts where I was like, "I talked about that?", and "Even though I was thinking about even more things at that time, I didn't say anything."」
MAMI: 「You can objectively see yourself, and you can also see how each member faces lives or songwriting. Things that I don't see even though we're together all the time are shown in it.」
RINA: 「There are a lot of things that come up when you face music in earnest. Everyday life is also dramatic. I think it turned into a great road movie.」
Although they had experienced these things firsthand, the band's unity was strengthened even more by watching their documentary film.
TOMOMI: 「As it was being edited, we had a meeting about whether or not we should include a certain scene. We quarreled about what we each thought, but I feel that the film was completed by adding in that scene. With that discussion, it feels like we took a step forward and evolved.」
Their first arena tour will start in December and they're getting excited. The members unanimously said, 「We don't want to play with a special feeling that's dedicated just for arena performances.」
HARUNA: 「For the times we've played lives at arenas so far we've wanted to do something special, show off in a flashy way, and base our set lists on that. But now, no matter where we play a live, we'd like to play in the same way as we always do. We always want to play a simple, strong live. To be able to do that, we'll spend these next few years doing so.」
For that reason, they'll 「Bring a performing force」; 「First, we need to improve」. While that is the most basic of basics, it's not a goal that's easy to achieve. Holding that up high, SCANDAL will continue to evolve.
https://www.tokyoheadline.com/scandal-10周年プレイヤーをばく進中！/
*Note: CNN itself never interviewed them. The person was simply a user on CNN iReport, which anyone can join, and they falsely claimed to 'work' for CNN. I wish the band was aware of that!
